Looted art

UK permits Nazi-looted Meissen figure to leave for Japan despite spoliation claim

There appear to be no winners in what the Arts Council refers to as an “extremely unusual” case

Berlin’s Ethnological Museum returns Alaskan grave artefacts looted by explorer

The objects “do not belong in our museums”, says the president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation

Hamburg museum says its Benin bronzes could return to Nigeria—but not yet

Applied arts institution is showing the sculptures in a looted art exhibition

Damning report says France must catch up, fast, in return of Nazi-era loot

Heritage expert calls for new government taskforce to guide provenance research and even rule on restitution cases

German researchers trace Jewish newspaper mogul’s vast Nazi-looted art collection

The Mosse Art Research Project, a cooperation with the German government, identifies eight works and launches online database

Will the British Museum lend Nigeria the Benin bronzes?

Planned museum in Benin City offers safe environment for Western collections, the country says

Scotland Yard joins global crackdown on looted pharaonic antiquities

The initiative, which involves governments and the art world, will set up a public database of objects

Germany to fund museum investigations into provenance of colonial-era artefacts

The German Lost Art Foundation, which also looks into Nazi-loot, will allocate the government grants

Louvre shines a light on Nazi loot

Museum hopes to find rightful heirs through display of spoliated works

Germany names new head of Nazi-looted art panel

Hans-Jürgen Papier fills post held by Jutta Limbach until her death last year

Washington's new $500m Museum of the Bible claims 'non-sectarian' mission

Private institution is funded by evangelical Hobby Lobby chairman, Steve Green

Düsseldorf abruptly cancels exhibition about Jewish dealer Max Stern

City authorities cite ongoing restitution claims as reason for decision

Painting looted from Hitler to be auctioned in Cologne

Van Ham to offer Franz von Stuck portrait in 17 November sale

Painting in Gurlitt hoard identified as Nazi loot—thanks to a tiny repair hole

Portrait by Thomas Couture belonged to a French politician who opposed the Nazis

Islamic State's looting of antiquities is rising but hard facts remain scarce

Experts question the reported size of illicit trade, particularly as the number of fake artefacts increases

Draw your own conclusions

Fill in the blanks of art crimes solved and unsolved with two new adult colouring books

Anne Webberinterview

How can museums speed up the return of art looted during the Nazi era?

Conference at London's National Gallery this week looks at how the process can be accelerated

Interview by Catherine Hickley

Wanted: a new generation of Monuments Men

Curators, art historians and museum directors sought by the US Army to provide expert advice in combat zones

Cambodiaarchive

The US announces plans to to return more Khmer Cambodian artefacts, adding momentum to Cambodia's quest for restitution

Cambodian officials believe the last two looted works out of seven are in Denver Art Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art

Cambodiaarchive

Light is finally being shed on the issue of restitution of looted art

The restitution of Cambodian statues by major museums and auction houses is an encouraging sign

Museumsarchive

Australia's ill-advised purchase of Indian artefact

The National Gallery of Australia bought the Shiva statue despite uncertainty over its provenance

Cambodiaarchive

Sotheby's Cambodian smuggling saga quietly resolved out of court

The auction house returns statue and is cleared of wrongdoing as federal government drops allegations

Looted artarchive

The Dutch government gives up its claim on Nazi loot

The decision not to appeal cannot but weaken its claim to other war booty such as the Koenigs collection still held in Russia

Collectorsarchive

How the missing Zodiac fountain heads continue to be a sore point for China

Several have appeared at auction in recent years; the whereabouts of five remain unknown

'Where is the crown of Maqdala?', V&A asks Ethiopia

Crown that was returned in 1925 has disappeared

Newsarchive

Ukraine suffered “colossal” looting during World War II

New research challenges Russians’ claim that they own many cultural valuables from the independent state

Minneapolis hands Léger to collector’s family

The painting was stolen from its Jewish owner during the Nazi occupation of France